Inhaler



1951 G. P. TRUMBOUR ETA; 2,579,280.

INHALER Filed June 25, 1949 INVENTORS GEORGE Z? TRUMBOUR HARLn/v 1. PR arm JR.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 18, 1951 INHALER George P. Trumbour, Needham, and Harlan I. Prater, Jr., Wellesley Hills, Mass., assignors to MacGregor Instrument Company, Needham,

Mass, a corporation Application June 25, 1949, Serial No. 101,398

' 7 Claims. (01.128-206) Our present invention relates to inhalers and particularly to inhalers for use with medicaments such as powdered penicillin.

Where such medicaments are to be taken by inspiration, it is essential that the patient receive the full dosage prescribed and it is to inhalers that enable that result to be effectively attained and that, at the same time, are adapted to economical production that our invention is directed. 1

In accordance with our invention, we provide an inhaler comprising a body having a passage extending from'its butt to its tip and being of increased cross sectional area adjacent the butt. A cap, serving as a container for the medicament, is detachably connected to the butt with its closed end spaced from the enlarged extremity of that passage and our inhaler has air intake passages in communication with the interior of the cap and disposed towards its closed I end.

In practice, we provide that the fiow of intake air is accelerated in the zone of the butt end of the body passage to ensure that air drawn into the cap is in the form of streams sweeping its inner surfaces to the closed end thereof with the result that all-the medicamentmay be picked up-gby the inspirated air stream. .7

We also provide the inhaler body with a valve in control of thepassage. The valve includes a valve element and first and second spaced seats therefor. The element engages the first seat under the'infiuence of exhaled air thereby preventing moisture-from that source causing the powdered medicament to' agglomerate. When the patient inhales through our inhaler, the valve element is lifted from the first seat but the second seat is grooved so that should it be engaged by the valve element, the passage will remain Open.

In the accompanying drawings, we have shown an illustrative embodiment of our invention from which these and other of its novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, of an inhaler in accordance with our invention, and

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections along the lines 22 and 3--3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

In accordance with our invention, we provide an inhaler consisting of a body 5, preferably of tubular form, having one end rounded to provide a tip dimensioned so that it is adapted for both nasal and oral uses. A cap-like vial 6 containing the medicament 1 is detachably connected to the butt end of the body 5. The body 5 has a passage 8 extending from end to end thereof and the inhaler has intake passageways 9 in communication with the interior of the cap 6.

In order that all the medicament 1 may be inspirated through the passage 8, we dispose the intake passageways 9 so that they are remote from but directed towards the closed end of the cap 6 and. form the passage 8 so that its adja-' cent end I0 is of greater cross sectional area than the tip end thereof. By this construction, entrant air streams over the inner surfaces of the cap 6 and sweeps the medicament therefrom and from its closed end into the stream through the passage 8, the mouth [0 of which is suitably: screened as at I l While any type of connection between the: inhaler body 5 and its cap 6 may be employed, we prefer to utilize a friction fit between them. For that reason, the mouth of the cap 6 is slightly tapered to fit securely on the correspondingly tapered butt 12 of the body 5 and be seated against; the body shoulder is. Extending the full length of the butt l2 and intersecting the shoulder. l3 are a plurality of spaced grooves which, in the assembled inhaler, establish the intake passageways 9. We prefer this construction as it ensures that the streams of air drawn into the cap 6 are in contact with its inner surfaces. in

While a thus constructed inhaler is very satisfactory in use and is adapted to economical production, it is desirable to have the passage 8 valve controlled to prevent air, exhaled by the patient, from entering the interior of the cap 6 for the moisture carried by that air would be picked up by the medicament with such resulting agglomeration as to destroy its utility.

In order to provide such a valve, we have shown the body 5 as including an extension member l4 having a tapered neck l5 fitting into the correspondingly tapered end of a passage chamber IS. The chamber I16 is of substantially greater cross sectional area than the adjacent portions of the passage 8 and receives the valve element l1, preferably a ball. The shoulder established by the received end of the neck l5 establishes a first seat I8 for the valve element and spaced therefrom is a second seat I9. In practice, we form the valve chamber It with a plurality of spaced grooves 20 which intersect the seat [9 and provide lands 2| which serve to closely confine the valve element as it travels between its seats.

By this construction, the valve element I1 is positioned: for use.

Apart from its use in the establishment oi. the valve, the extension member l4 has an in The extension member-M ,-i ...dimen-...

stituting a medicament container attached to said body with its closed end spaced from the butt end of said passage and its walls spaced from the extremity of said butt thereby to establish an air chamber having its mouth opening towards said closed end, said inhaler having inlets in commllnication, with said air chamber 'and the mouth of said chamber being of restricted size so that the streams of intake air are accelerated in the zone of the butt end of said passage.

4,. An inhaler comprising a body having a tip,

a butt, and a passage effectingcommunication thenebetween -.wi tl r .its. butt end of greater cross ber 14 is tapered as at 23 and the inn er; s riagea,

of the walls of the vial taper inwardly towards the closed end thereof so that the mouthi" of the chamber 22 is of substantially reduced cross sectional area,as...compared..with itsother end. As a result, the. stream of entrant air isaccelerated in the zone of thescreened. end or mouth of V the passage. 8. where theinspirated. air stream has not attained its fullveloci-ty thereby ensuring. that s the stream of entrant air is efiectivelto sweep the entireinterior ofthe. vialB, including its closed It will: be apparentfromtheforegoing that inhalersinaccordance without invention are well zadapted; foruse. in the. accurate administration of" powdered medicaments and to. efficient and economical production.

-What. we .thereforeclaim and desire to secure withv said air chamber. and the mouth of. said chamber being. .of .restrictedsize. so that. the streams of intake air are accelerated .in the zone ofithe butt end ofsaid passage.

2.1.;Theinhaler ofaclaim. 1 in whichone of the. adjacent surfaces of the. cap and butt extremity -..i ;l ned: towards .the. other. so that. the. air

ham ertaperstowards. its mouth.

3.; An inhaler comprising a. body having a tip,

a- ;-butt, and a passage effecting communication .55; sectional area, than its t pend, and a cap con-..

therehetween .withits. butt end. of: greatercross sectional areathan; the tip end thereof, an intermediateportion establishing a seat, and grooves traversingsaid seat and at least a part of said bl tt end anextension member including a neck seated in said butt end in spaced relation to said seat and having a passageway extending from end to end thereof, and a valve element confined in said butt portion by theseat established by the intermediate. passageportion. and by theseat. established by theextremity of said neck, a cap constituting a medicamentcontaineitsaid. cap and saidbo dy including Icomplem'ental.jointes: tablishingportions, connecting saidcapto said; body with its closed-end spaced; from said. exten-v sion. nd said extension. member .being dimenr. sione o fit freely. Within. said .cap to :pmvidean.

, air space, and one of said portions haVingwPaS-a.

l-Lmuunoua HARLAN:.I- HEATER; .J-R. mminen 1 cusp- The following references,=.-are ofrecord: in'. the; file .of this-patent: r

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